Warp compressor



1. R. ROWE 2,337,129

I WARP COMPRESSOR Filed June 16, 194:5

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21, 1943. I. R. ROWE WARP COMPRESSOR 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed June 10, 1943 \nvenTor. \rving R.Rowe byMMff Aflys.

I. R. ROWE WARP COMPRESSOR Filed Juhe 10, 1943 Dec. 21, 1943.

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Patented Dec. 21, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WARP COMPRESSOR Application June 10, 1943, Serial No. 490,252

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a warp compressor for use in connection with a warp beam upon which Warp is wound by rotation of the beam and which acts to compact or compress the warp during the beaming operation and thus to produce a firm solid warp mass without the necessity of placing the warp under heavy tension during the beaming operation and enables a maximum length of warp to be wound upon the beam.

The present invention has for its object to provide a highly eficient type of warp compressor which will maintain during the beaming operation a substantially constant uniform pressure upon the warp mass, which permits ready removal of the filled beam and replacement of an empty beam, which is capable of a simple: and accurate adjustment to determine the operating pressure, and which automatically insures the application of the pressure throughout the entire width of the warp mass.

These and other objects of the invention Will appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

The drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of thispreferred embodiment in operative position associated with a warp beam;

Fig. 2 is a view, chiefly in vertical cross section, taken centrally through one of the compressor roll arms with the dotted lines indicating the initial working position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, taken chiefly in cross section, on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

i Fig. 4 is an end elevation partially brokenaway and partially in Vertical cross section looking toward the left hand end of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation and partially in central longitudinal cross section of a pre-.

ferred form of the compressor roll with portions of the heads of a warp beam indicatedat the ends thereof;

Figs. 6 and 7 are details in cross section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5 and illustrating two positions of a clamping bolt and cooperating nut forming preferred elements of the compressor roll;

Fig. 8 is a view in transverse cross section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5;

Figs. 9 and 10 are details illustrating two positions of a pin and cooperating bayonet slot forming preferred elements of the compressor roll.

Since broadly considered the function and operation of -a warp compressor and the construction and operation, of warp beams and warp beaming apparatus are well known and familiar to those skilled in the art, it will only be necessary here to describe. the construction with which this invention is particularly concerned, it being understood that the mechanism illustrated will be made of the usual materials employed in such devices.

The warp beam comprises a central shaft indicated at i in Figs. 1 and 2 and is provided at each end with disk-like heads indicated fragmentarily at 2 in Figs. 2 and 5. In the beaming operation the warp beam is rotated and the sheet of warp- 3 fed thereto so thatthe rotation of the warp beam acts to wind the .warp upon the beam in a gradually-increasing mass. In Fig. '1 the warp beam is indicated as rotating clockwise but it may rotate ineither direction and the warp compressor may be placedat either side.

The warp compressor as illustratedcomprises a suitable base which may be of any suitable shape or construction and is here shown as comprising the standards 4, 5 and B. In these standards forming the base is journaled the main shaft 1. The base is mounted upon the floor or other suitable support adjacent the warp beam so that the main shaft 1 shall extend parallel to the warp beam.

A plurality of similar upstanding compressor roll arms 8 are journaled upon the main shaft 7. Three such arms are illustrated equally spaced .but any desired number may be employed depending upon the length of the warp beam. ,The compressor roll -9 illustrated as .a hollow cylinder is journaled in the arms 8 at the upper ends thereof-and extends parallel with the main shaft! and consequently parallel with theewarp beam when the apparatus is in working position. Each compressor roll arm 8 is preferably hollow and open toward the front. Antifriction rolls Ii] journaled in the side walls of the arm support and allow iree rotation ofthe compressor roll. The forwardprojecting portions H and 12 of the arm prevent the roll from being forwardlyseparated from the arms. 7

Bearing arms l3 are keyed at M to the main shaft soas to be supported therefrom but against movement rotatively thereof and extend u ward one in front of eachcompressor ro1l.arm 8. Each of these bearing arms extendsin between .the flanges of the. corresponding compressor roll arm ,,and.,is.bifurcated at .itsupper end. A setscrew .l4l. actsto position each bearing arm and compressor roll arm longitudinally of the main shaft. A tension shaft I is journaled in the upper ends of the bearing arms l3 and extends parallel with the main shaft 1. An inextensible flexible connector shown as a chain [6 extends between each compressor roll arm 8 and the tension shaft l5. Each connector at one end extends around and is adjustably secured as by a screw l1 to the tension shaft, while the other end is adjustably connected to the compressor roll arm. (As illustrated the latter end of the connector comprises a screw is passing through a reentrant wall I9 at the rear of the compressor roll arm and provided with nuts 26 on opposite sides of the wall by means of which accurate adjustment may be obtained.

When the compressor roll and its supporting arms are in the forward or initial working position, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the compressor roll is moved back by the gradually increasing warp mass, the apparatus acts to maintain the compressor roll in parallelism with the tension shaft during this movement and yieldingly to restrain the rotation of the tension shaft so as to maintain a substantially constant uniform pressure on the warp mass during the entire beaming operation. By careful adjustment of the several connectors IS the required parallelism of the compressor roll with the tension shaft and consequently with the warp beam is secured under all conditions.

In the construction illustrated a cylindrical housing 2! is secured by means of an integral bracket 22 to the end of the main shaft 7 being keyed thereto at 23 and the tension shaft l5 extends concentrically through this housing. A hollow drum 24 having an inner end wall 25 integral or rigid therewith and an outer removable face plate 26 is located in and concentric of the housing and journaled at its end wall 25 and face plate 26 on the tension shaft I5. A coiled spring is secured at one end to the tension shaft and at the other end to the drum so that rotation of the tension shaft, in this case clockwise, and consequently backward movement of the compressor roll arms is yieldingly restrained. One or more of these coiled springs may be employed and in the construction illustrated two flat coiled springs 21 and 28 are employed secured at their inner ends by pins 29 to the tension shaft and inturned at their outer ends to receive a pin 30 extending through the face plate 26 and threaded into the end wall 25 of the drum. With a plurality of such coil springs it is desirable to provide separator plates, such as 3|, between the springs. A cap plate 32 is secured to the end of the tension shaft [5 by a set screw 33 and a positioning pin 34, holds the drum in place within the housing 2|, and also holds the face plate 26 in place.

The invention further provides means for accurately adjusting the tension of the coil spring or springs employed in conjunction with the other elements and acts to maintain a substantially constant uniform pressure on the warp mass during the beaming operation. The pressure on the warp mass due to the weight of the movable parts as the compressor roll moves from initial working position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, to a position above the main shaft, shown in full lines, gradually decreases and in order to counterbalance this decreasing pressure and insure the maintenance of a substantially constant uniform pressure on the warp mass during the beaming operation the tension of the coiled springs is [ill carefully controlled and adjusted. For this purpose the end wall 25 of the drum is provided at its periphery with teeth forming a worm wheel 35 and a cooperating worm 36 is journaled in the housing 2! and formed at its ends 31 for cooperation with a wrench or other device. Thus by turning the Worm very accurate adjustment of the rotary position of the drum and consequently of the tension of the springs may be secured while the worm operates to lock the drum in the adjusted rotary position.

It is desirable to provide means for indicating the amount of tension in the coiled springs and for that purpose there is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 an indicator moved by the rotation of the drum which acts to indicate on the housing the tension of the spring. A spiral groove 38 is formed in the face of the end wall 25 and a pin 39 is mounted to slide radially in a slot 40 in the housing bracket 22 and in a slot 4| in a graduated plate 42 secured to the inner face of the bracket 22. The end of this pin 39 rides in the groove 38, consequently rotary movement of the drum acts to move the pin along the graduated plate and thus indicate the tension of the spring. The groove 38 is shown as adapted to permit three rotations of the drum. When this number is reached the pin is removed and replaced at the opposite end of the groove. Thus after the springs have been wound up to give an approximate required tension a very accurate adjustment may be made and indicated by this construction.

Another means of indicating the position of the drum and consequently the tension of the spring is illustrated in Fig. l in which the periphery of the face plate 26 is graduated to cooperate with a mark 43 on the housing.

Features of the invention are also embodied in the compressor roll, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in Figs. 5-10 inclusive. Two important features of the invention in this respect are, first, that the compressor roll is constructed so that it may readily be adjusted to any required length of warp beam, and, second, that it is constructed so that it will automatically elongate to maintain its ends in contact with the inner surfaces of the beam heads and thus be in engagement with the entire width of the warp mass during the beaming operation. The first feature is important because it enables a single apparatus to be employed with any length of warp beam and the second feature is important because it insures that the pressure applied to the warp mass during the beaming operation shall extend over the entire Width of the warp mass and thus insure uniformity throughout th entire warp mass.

In the preferred construction illustrated the compressor roll is, as pointed out, a hollow cylinder and presents two main sections 4 and 45 having cooperating end elements. In this case the end of the section M is shouldered at 46 oppositely to the shouldered end 41 of the main section 45 so that these ends when brought together cooperate and fit smoothly. An auxiliary section 48 is provided having end elements, in

this case shouldered portions, to cooperate with the end elements of the main sections when interposed between the main sections, and in Fig. 5

this auxiliary section is illustrated as thus interposed. The auxiliary section 33 may be of any desired length or more than one may be employed. Thus it will be seen that by interposing an auxiliary section the compressor roll may "elongate the compressor roll and caus'e'its ends be given any required length. Suitable means are provided for clamping together the two main sections or for clamping the two main sections and the interposed auxiliary section together. In the construction illustrated spiders 49 and B are mounted in and secured by rivets 5| to the main section 44 and a spider 52 is similarly mounted in and secured to the main section 46. A bolt having a threaded portion 53 is journaled at its shank 54 in the spiders 49 and 50 and held against inward movement by the head 55. A cooperating nut is formed in or secured to the spider 52. Thus by turning the bolt in the nut the main sections of the compressor roll may be clamped together or the main sections with the interposed auxiliary section may be clamped together. In the preferred construction the threaded portions of the bolt and nut are complementally mutilated to enable the bolt to be slid through the nut and then by partial rotation brought to clamping position. This enables the sections of the compressor roll to be quickly and firmly clamped together. For this purpose the nut comprises a cylindrical portion 56 of the spider 52 with a section 5'! pivoted at 58 and with this section only provided with teeth 59, while the teeth of the bolt 53 are omitted in a sector of the same width as the teeth 59. In Fig. 7 the bolt is shown with the toothed portion 53 positioned with the mutilated sector opposite the teeth 59 of the nut, thus enabling the bolt to be slid through the nut, while in Fig. 6 the bolt is shown with its toothed sector engaging the teeth of the nut to bring the parts into clamping position.

In the second feature of the compressor roll the hollow cylinder is formed to present two castellated complementary interengaging sections and at the right hand end of Fig. 5 the main section to is thus constructed, the portions 60 of one section fitting between the portions 6| but separated by small spaces 62. Resilient means are provided within the cylinder acting to elongate the cylinder by separating lengthwise these castellated complementary interengaging sections so as to maintain the ends of the cylin- ,der in contact with the inner surfaces oijthe beam heads. For this purpose a spider E3 is mounted in and secured to the one section and a spider M to the other section. A stud 65 is mounted in one spider, as $3, and extends through and telescopes in a bearingtfi in the other spider, as 64, and a helical spring 61 on the stud 65 acts yieldingly to separate the castellated sections and thus elongate the cylinder. In Fig. 5 the castellated sections are shown closed but when the spring is free to act the cylinder will be extended as indicated in dotted lines to press against the face of the beam head 2.

Preferably a sleeve 68 interiorly telescopes both castellated sections and is secured to one of them, in this case by the rivet 69, to the outer section. A pin it is mounted in the section free from the sleeve, in this case the inner section, and extends into a bayonet slot H in the sleeve 68. The pin and bayonet slot cooperate so that when the sections are in contracted position the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 9. In this position the compressor roll is brought between the beam heads but when the beaming operation starts and the compressor roll rotates the spaces 62 permit slight relative rotation of the castellated sections, the pin E5 is released from the notch of the bayonet slot and the spring 61' then acts to to engage'the faces of the beam heads.

The invention enables an empty beam to be put in place and a full beam removed in a minimum amount of time and by a simple and easy operation of the compressor. For this purpose a wind-down mechanism is employed preferably at the end of the apparatus opposite the spring housing. This is shown as a sector 12 of a rack gear secured to the end of the main shaft and a cooperating worm 13 journaled in the standards 5 and provided with a suitable hand wheel 14. When a beam is filled by operating the hand wheel 14 the main shaft 1 is rotated thus swinging the compressor roll arms rearward until a position is reached where ready access may be had to the beam for removal from its supports. To limit the rearward position of the compressor roll arms adjustable screw threaded stop pins '15 are shown mounted in standards it forming a part of the base and are engaged by the reentrant wall ll of the compressor arms opposite the wall It. When an empty beam has been placed in position the hand wheel is rotated in the opposite direction until the compressor roll is brought to bear against the empty beam.

The invention thus presents a very simple and efficient warp compressing apparatus readily placed in position with respect to a warp beaming mechanism, easily operated to permit removal and replacement of the warp beam, occupying a minimum of space eliminating any danger of injury to operators, enabling accurate adjustment to be made to provide under all conditions for a substantially constant uniform pressure upon the warp mass, enabling a single apparatus to take care of any length of warp beam, and insuring the application of the required pressure to the entire warp mass between the beam heads.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A warp compressor for association with a warp beam having warp wound thereon by rotation thereof which comprises a base to be placed adjacent the warp beam, a main shaft journaled in the base to extend parallel to the warp beam, a plurality of upstanding compressor roll arms journaled upon the main shaft, a compressor roll journaled in said arms parallel with the main shaft, a tension shaft extending in front of the arms parallel with themain shaft, bearings for the tension shaft supported from the main shaft and against movement rotarily thereof, means connecting each arm to the tension shaft acting to rotate the tension shaft as the compressor roll is moved back by the warp mass and to maintain the compressor roll in parallelism with the tension shaft during such movement, and means supported from the main shaft for yieldingly restraining the rotation of the tension shaft during said movement and acting to maintain a substantially constant uniform pressure on the Warp mass during the beaming operation.

2. A warp compressor as defined in claim 1 together with means connected to the main shaft operable to rotate the shaft in opposite directions to position the compressor either in initial working position or in position to disengage the filled beam.

3. A warp compressor for association with a warp beam having warp wound thereon by rotation thereof which comprises a base to be placed adjacent the warp beam, a main shaft journaled in the base to extend parallel to the warp beam, a plurality of upstanding compressor roll arms journaled upon the main shaft, a compressor roll journaled in said arms parallel with the main shaft, and means supported from the main shaft and connected to each of the said arms, acting yieldingly to restrain backward movement of said arms on the main shaft by the warp mass and maintain a substantially constant uniform pressure on the warp mass during the beaming operation.

4. A warp compressor as defined in claim 3, together with means connected to the main shaft operable to rotate the shaft in opposite directions to position the compressor either in initial working position or in position to disengage the filled beam.

5. A warp compressor as defined in claim 3 together with an arcuate worm wheel secured to the main shaft and a cooperating worm mounted on the base by means of which the main shaft may be rotated in opposite directions to position the compressor either in initial working position or in position to disengage the filled beam.

6. A warp compressor as defined in claim 1, in which the yieldingly restraining means comprises a housing secured to the main shaft and through which the tension shaft extends, a drum within the housing rotarily adjustable with respect thereto, a coil spring secured at one end to the tension shaft and at the other end to the drum, and means for rotarily adjusting the drum 'to adjust the tension of the spring.

'7. A warp compressor as defined in claim 1, in which the yieldingly restraining means comprises a housing secured to the main shaft and through which the tension shaft extends, a drum Within the housing rotarily adjustable with respect thereto, a coil spring secured at one end to the tension shaft and at the other end to the drum, means for rotarily adjusting the drum to adjust the tension of the spring, and an indicator moved by the rotation of the drum acting to indicate on the housing the tension of the spring.

8. A warp compressor as defined in claim 1, in which the said yielding restraining means comprises a cylindrical housing secured to the main shaft and into which the tension shaft extends, a drum in the housing concentric with the housing and the tension shaft, a coil spring secured at one end to the-tension shaft and at the other end to the drum, a worm wheel on the drum, and a cooperating worm journaled in the housing by means of which the drum may be rotarily adjusted with respect to the housing to adjust the tension of the spring.

9. A warp compressor for association with a warp beam having warp wound thereon by rotation thereof which comprises a base to be placed adjacent the warp beam, a main shaft journaled in the base to extend parallel to the warp beam, a plurality of upstanding compressor roll arms journaled upon the main shaft, a compressor roll journaled in said arms parallel with the main shaft, a bearing arm keyed to the main shaft and extending therefrom in front of each compressor roll arm, a tension shaft journaled in the upper ends of said bearing arms parallel with the main shaft, an inextensible flexible connector between each compressor roll arm and the tension shaft extending around and secured at one end to the tension shaft and connected at the other end to the compressor roll arm,

- and means for yieldingly restraining the rotation of the tension shaft acting to maintain a substantially constant uniform pressure on the Warp mass as the compressor roll is moved back by the warp mass during the beaming operation.

10. A warp compressor as defined in claim 9 in which each connector is adjustably connected to its compressor roll arm.

11. A warp compressor for association with a warp beam having warp wound thereon by rotation thereof which comprises a base to be placed adjacent the warp beam, amain shaft journaled in the base to extend parallel to the warp beam, a plurality of upstanding compressor roll arms journaled upon the main shaft, a compressor roll journaled in said arms parallel with the main shaft, spring actuated means supported from the main shaft and connected to each of the said arms acting yieldingly to restrain backward movement of said arms on the main shaft by the warp mass, and means for adjusting the force of the spring to counterbalance the decreasing pressure due to the weight of the parts pressing against the warp mass as the compressor roll moves toward a position above the main shaft and in conjunction therewith acting to maintain a substantially constant uniform pressure on the warp mass during the beaming operation.

IRVING R. ROWE. 

